​In the late nineteenth century, Chinese laborers in America were often met with boycotts, intimidation and violence, and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 sought to prevent them from competing with the American labor force altogether. But the Chinese immigrant community was undeterred. Organizations such as the Zhonghua Huiguan provided financial support and sophisticated legal defense for Chinese laborers that pushed the limits of the Exclusion Act. To learn more about how Chinese Americans were portrayed in media visit Thomas Nast Cartoons.